Friday, November 11, 2011

Former Friends Star David Schwimmer Lists L.A. Mansion

YOUR MAMAS NOTES: There are three–make that four–main reasons why celebrities, high profile people and others with the ducats to indulge their multi-million dollar real estate whims: death, marriage, divorce and/or the birth of a child.

Since former Friends actor David Schwimmer got married last year in an all-but-secret ceremony and then pushed out a baby in May 2011 it's really not such a surprise to any of us real estate gossips that he and his new missus-mommy Zoe Buckman–a former waitress and part-time photographer from London–recently heaved his long-time bachelor pad in Los Angeles' hoity-toity Hancock Park area on the market with an asking price of $10,700,000.

Since Friends went off the air in 2005 Mister Schwimmer hasn't been very busy in front of the camera instead preferring a recurring voice over role in the Madagascar animated film franchise and directing a few things here and there including live studio segments for the long ago canceled Little Britain USA, a short-lived sketch comedy series that starred the deliciously campy, button-pushing British actor/comedians David Walliams and Matt Lucas, who recently snatched up his own house in Los Angeles.

Property records show Mister Schwimmer acquired his gated and high-hedged Hancock Park spread way back in May 2001 when he paid $5,600,000 for the 1-plus acre estate located in the fancy heart of one of the better pockets of the historic, affluent, and celebrity-friendly Hancock Park 'hood.

Listing information indicates Mister Schwimmer's massive two-story Mediterranean mansion was built in 1926, measures 11,000 square feet–the L.A. County Tax Man shows it's 11,336 square feet–and contains 9 bedrooms, 6.5 bathrooms and 5 fireplaces. We're not sure if those bedroom and bathroom counts include the detached guest house, located above the detached 3-car garage and described in listing materials as "a modern loft experience,"that has its own living room, bedroom, bathroom and kitchen.

Current listing photos are few and limited only to exterior shots of the house and grounds but listing information does indicate the interior spaces include formal living and dining rooms, a wood paneled library, stone-walled den, and a newly-installed state-of-the-art screening room. While the house was largely remodeled when Mister Schwimmer acquired it he did do over the back yard, install new heating and air conditioning systems and restored the windows, doors and hardwood floors.

The fully and lushly landscaped grounds are privately tucked behind tall hedges and and electronic driveway gate that opens to a narrow driveway that passes under a porte-cochere before opening to a tight motor court in front of the detached garage/guest house located at the rear of the property. Tile terracing surrounds the sunken swimming pool and spa that are separated from the properly north-south aligned tennis court by an elevated, tree-shaded pavilion.

Mister and Missus Schwimmer, it seems, wish to remain in Hancock Park where they plan to shop for a house of both their choosing.

Some of Mister and new Missus Schwimmer's nearby property owners include Jason Alexander (Seinfeld), Sean Hayes (Will & Grace) who unsuccessfully attempted to sell his manse in 2008 with an asking price of $8,950,000, Patricia Heaton (Everybody Loves Raymond, The Middle), and writer/producer Shonda Rimes (Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice) who bought her fully-updated and upgraded mansion for $5,600,000 in March 2010 from indie music superstar Beck.

It seems a solid percentage of the Friends cast mates have recently got
ants in their real estate pants. Jennifer Aniston has been on quite a bi-coast real estate roll as has Matthew Perry. Both have bought and listed or sold multiple high-priced properties in the last year or so. Courtney Cox, soon to be divorced from husband David Arquette, has long had a famously active property
portfolio. She recently scooped up a $2,050,000 apartment at the heavily
celebrified Sierra Towers building on the Sunset Strip and Your Mama has
now heard several times through the celebrity real estate gossip
grapevine that she and her soon-to-be-ex mister are readying
their spectacular A. Quincy Jones-designed residence in Beverly Hills to hoist on the market with an
asking price somewhere near twenty million clams. Only co-star Lisa Kudrow–who owns two rather fancy houses in the 90210 zip code, one in the flats
and one up in the hills and both bought more than 10 years ago–has not put her left foot into the recent real estate hokey-pokey of her former cast mates. Would anyone be surprised if she did though?

17 comments:

angie
said...

At first I was surprised you didn't mention Hancock Park's newest celeb resident, Matt Bomer, but then it occurred to me that his partner must be the actual (name is on the deed) owner. The Schwimmers aren't going find anything that can top this classic estate in the Hancock Park area imo, so I don't understand their decision to sell it and find another. As nice as it is though, I think it's introductory listing price is intended as a fishing expedition to see if there's anyone out there frivolous enough to pay that much for it.

A gorgeous 1950 Arthur Foeoehlich-designed mid century modern house was recently demolished at 9970 Sunset in Beverly Hills. While attention was focused on the Neutra-designed, but dilapidated, house further east on Sunset, the bulldozers quietly destroyed significant architecture in beautiful condition.See photos on Redfin/9970 Sunset for a MCM treat. The house supposedly had never been on the market since its construction, and it recently sold for a reported $8m.Anyone want to bet what kind of over-developed Landry-designed palace will take its place?

A friend who was once in real estate called the reasons for buying &/or selling a personal residence the Three D's: death, divorce or diapers. I think that should be updated to the Five D's: Diamonds (representing marriage), Divorce, Diapers, Death and (a very Great Recession) Debt.

Perhaps this casa will linger on the market (at $10.7 million in HP, that's probably likely) and Mr. Schwimmer will have to go Ellen-style and show the world some interior photos.

To Rosco Mare. *I* heard you (about the Froelich). I noticed, I railed, I raised hell. I thought at first it was just going to be reno'd...those first steps looked very much like preservation. Then one day -- GONE

And now, a William Stephenson at the corner of Delfern and Sunset I saw yesterday is being replaced by G-d Only Knows What (next door to Betsy Bloomingdale).

Listen, chicken, I've always admired your commentary here (you're one of my three favorites) so you might be interested to learn that I'm chronicling some of the MCM history of Beverly Hills in a new book: www.Trousdale-OverTheTop.com We're also on Facebook where we touch on other significant Modernist homes in BH and surrounding areas (esp those in trouble or those we've lost); you'll see several mentions of the Froelich as the Sword of Damocles was hanging over it.